Bathurst Cycling Classic: 2020's road race champions Sam Hill, Emily Watts win hill climb

Hill (Team Bridgelane) completed the ascent from Mount Panorama's starting line to Skyline in a time of six minutes and 45.07 seconds (28.44km/h average) while former Bathurst Cycling Club rider Watts (Sydney Uni Velo, KOM Knights Racing) reached the finish of the 3.2 kilometre ascent in 8:26.21 (22.76 km/h).

Hill's brother and teammate Ben (Canberra Cycling Club) managed to break the seven minute barrier on his way to the runner-up spot (6:59.61) while Brandon Conway (Port Macquarie CC) was third in 7:03.95.

Gina Ricardo (Sydney Uni Staminade) finished 13 seconds behind Watts to take the silver (8:39.62) and

The wins for Hill and Watts gave them the early advantage in the newly introduced Bathurst Tour, which is a combined point score made up of the hill climb, criterium and road race results.

This year's hill climb course was a change from previous editions. It used the Mount Panorama course itself, as opposed to the old side road (Barry Gurdon Drive).

Men's winner Hill was quick to acknowledge his brother's fall at the Tour Down Under earlier this year, believing the result in Friday's climb could have been a closer affair if not for Ben's disrupted preparation.

"Ben's had a pretty interrupted run. I mean, he was in hospital for quite some time after TDU," he told Cycling NSW.

"Not ideal prep, but still, it always feels good to get one over Ben. We have a pretty healthy rivalry, so it's good to get him back this year.

"I prefer [the new course]. It is a bit more steady. Last year was a bit of 'flat, climb, flat'. This year, I found it a bit more consistent besides the top, which suits me."

Watts said most people would be surprised how little experience she has with the course.

"I am a local, but a lot of people think I've done [the climb] a few times," Watts told Cycling NSW.

"I've only done it once, and that was last year when we raced it [in the B2B].

"It was less steep than I remember, but it was definitely longer than I remember."

Watts also earned the distinction of being the only women's rider to complete the hill climb faster than Bathurst's former UCI World Tour rider Mark Renshaw, who sponsored the event.

Renshaw was the last rider away in Friday's climb, coming home in 8:34.09.

Brayden Bloch (Randwick CC) was the division two men's winner and Erin Chamberlen (Randwick CC) was the women's champion.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: